Morning all! I slept through all the excitement. Not surprised at the news, think she should have thrown in the towel sooner - but dreading to hear who they pick instead. I suspect that anyone leading 'the exit' would have fallen on thorny ground but it has seemed that it could have been handled differently and without the appearance of neglecting social issues in the meantime. I hope she gets a nice break with her long suffering OH now, her resiliance was amazing.

Nice to see the Wildie home has popped up again .. . If anyone's won the lottery they've kept very quiet.

The porch sounds exciting zosh. Do you have a rough 'project finished' date in mind?

I've got a couple of free days ahead now. I earmarked today for sleep in the morning and some more garden tidying this afternoon. I hadn't looked at the forecast though and the sky is getting darker by the moment so I might be doing something else instead. I put a chicken in the slow cooker when I got in this morning - it is starting to smell nice.

This morning we got a huge package of election material for Sundays French election. By law they must all arrive together. There are 17 parties and each one is expected to send a leaflet and a summary of their, manifesto. We have everything from the Neo Nazis to the Communitsts with every shade in between. I suppose if we were really dedicated we would sit and read them all through - life's too short.

Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

The worrying thing about the Conservative party leadership election is that the final choice is made by the party membership. This means that the leader of a country of 60,000,000 people will be in the hands of around 100,000 people - about 0.17% of the population. The average age of these 100,000 is so high that the number of voters will be substantially less by the time of the vote in around six weeks time.

I think most of us here would feel a degree of envy at having so much information delivered to the house rather than the detective work we have to employ to get any information about our candidates these days! It's interesting to get some perspective on what everyone passionately believes in. The biggest surprise to me since the Brexit thing has been the revelation that people I know and like have far more diverse political opinion than I imagined and not always for reasons which seem valid.

aero - an interesting thought there! That said, it's how it works. Our 'democratic' system returned the Conservatives at the last election and so the PM is whoever they elect as leader. Seems fair to me until we get decent electoral reform. I am surprised there isn't greater demand for reform, the current system does not deliver a fair result at all. It would be interesting to see the result if all of the 60,000,000 bothered to vote too.

I had a huge amount of election material from The Brexit Party and the Liberal Democrats. The Brexit party stuff seemed to come every other day, in the post, and actually addressed to me by name at this address - not just a matter of the postman putting a leaflet through each door - it had to go through the sorting office. No-one knows who funds the Brexit party (although C4 news seems to have a few suggestions! )

We are back from a lovely afternoon inCromer ... beer and pop on the pier watching a little red plane doing amazing acrobatics over the seaand admiring ‘proper dogs’, then a very late fish & chip lunch at No. 1 and a stroll, followed by a detour to Chinch Towers for a cuppa and to inspect the new kitchen and offload some of our rhubarb mountain. Plans are being hatched for a Wildie Picnic ... probably in August

By the way . I bought a Euro Millions lottery ticket ... that Wildie Home for the dissolute and vaguely befuddled may be on ...

“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” —Winnie-the-Pooh

Sue we both say thanks for posting ! We, they are funded by the government.with a finite amount of money We do know that every single commune has to have 38 boards avaialble to post any election communications. Our friend Paul up in the next department said they could scarcely see last weeks market for the boards.

Our family were in awe of what we got. As we now know that our papers didn't arrive in Newcastle we can sally forth on Sunday and take our pick!!

Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

Had an interesting few days. End of term shindig at 'W' on Weds. Teams of peeps doing challenges & sports such as badminton. A sort of pat-on-the-back-and-thanks-for-all-the-hard-work, sort of thing. There was loads of free food too. I had a rather large afternoon tea (which was delish! ), and I fared better than those who queued for pizzas & stuff - they had a 40 min wait!

Saw a Wood Pigeon in the garden yesterday.

Got a B-day card from various peeps @ 'W' today - wasn't expecting it, but a nice thing to do.

I broke with tradition and DIDN'T go and vote yesterday. We won't be in Europe for much longer anyway. Altho I feel sorry for poor Mrs M - driven out by bullies IMVHO!!!!

We now have a brand new (and professionally built), greenhouse! Mum has been happily pottering, putting tomatos & peppers in - WOE BETIDE any gastropod I catch in there!!!! :

We are near a birth too - wonder if I will be able to do it - as It's my B-day soon *hint* *hint*

Oh, and can somebode sign my holiday slip plez? I'm off 'W' for a week.

Rather a lot of cake will be eaten over the next week

Grasshopper

Spring ventures forth to plant the grainAnd Summer dries the strawAutumn gathers in the harvestAnd Winter shuts the door

Misty murky one here.... Glad I finished my table outside yesterday, as my kitchen chap says it will make the kitchen 'pop'.

We did some emptying of my kitchen yesterday into my make shift kitchen in the snug. I have to say, there were some surprises, a couple of blown tins at the back of the cupboard 10 different (opened) packets of grits/semolina/polenta/ground maize The whole process was quite therapeutic if a tad embarrassing!!!! Not so many duplications as I had thought.

After all that work, we treated ourselves to surf and turf and special quaffing to go with it. The surf was canadian lobster tail (quite small) the 2 were £4, on a bed of beetroot leaves with cuc. & toms and a nice HM dressing. Mr. Z. cooked the thinnish rump in the George Foreman with some baby pots. We had Champers with the surf and Pillastro with the turf.

If the weather is good tomorrow Mr. Z. will be working with Eric so I shall make use of his muscles to move more heavy stuff today.

House is having its wash down on Monday and Eric will be chopping the bank. Still lots to do !

Coffee made ... a quick stroll around the garden while the kettle was boiling. I topped up the birdbath ... the hedgehogs almost emptied their water bowl last night ... it’s very dry out there for wildlife. People are worrying about the reduction in the numbers of swallows and housemartins we see ... neither species can build their nests without mud. When I was a child I’d see them taking mud from muddy puddles in the farmyard ... when’s the last time you saw a muddy puddle?

“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” —Winnie-the-Pooh

Good Morning Wild Ones, lovely morning here, last nights strong breeze blew away the cloud cover.The bird bath gets refilled every other day, it takes 2x 6litre watering can. We think that swallows pick up the mud from the edge of the reservoirTechnically we are eligible to vote in the Euro Election, you vote for a party here but no one has contacted us. Before the last European elections a couple of parties did presentations in English in local town/village centres but no evidence of it this year.

It's a good thing that there isn't a huge amount of storage space in my kitchen or I could probably outdo zosh with culinary museum pieces . That reminds me, I keep meaning to cook and freeze some of the lurking rice so that it's there when very quick meals are required.

Up bright and early today. Intend finishing tidying up the garden. Need to put more paint/stain stuff on garden woodwork too but maybe not today.

Although I water pots and stuff outside, the fluffs still come inside to drink rainwater. I do put rain water in the bird bath but it does annoy me that the pigeons poo in it. Our two sets of blackbirds are using our water feature to drink out of now that they have become used to the 'spoons' cascading down to the succeeding ones below.

Good morning wild ones. The Sun is out again, but we did have rain during the night. Breakfast is done, shower had, hair dried and I am just finishing my herbal tea, then I am ready for whatever the day throws at me I think the beasts might be in for a bath later, Kai stinks I hate to think what he has been rolling in

it is very dark outside and we are on orange alert for storms with hail. This will do dreadful things to the cherry harvest, not to mention the apricots. I picked the first lot of cherries last evening but there are not nearly as many as usual.

Mr R said the market this morning was rendered even more hazardous than usual because there were so many party workers waylaying passers by to canvas their votes. The Frexit party were trying to block the bridge in order to hand out their leaflets. I doubt that will win them many votes.

I hope there will be rain for those who need it and nice weather for those with jolly outdoor plans. It isn't a bank holiday here this Monday - but it is on Thursday for Assencion so the shops will be closed and many people will do le pont ie take Friday off as well.

Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

em the extrodinary thing is that Apt is a well documented Roman town on a main route from Italy to Spain. They decided to improve the roads and pavements in the centre and - gess what - they find Roman remains. Lots of Roman remains. It would hardly take Mary Beard to work that one out so why did the powers that be not plan and put contingency measures in place and not just dig up the lot at once.

Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

It is like that here, the area behind the Fish & Chip shop in Erimi is known as Pithari. a large quantity of large Greco Roman jars were found there. Deb used to work for some property developers in Paphos, they were thinking of developing a site near Mandria, the village is built around the site of the ancient Temple of Aphrodite so a test bore was put in to check for archaeology, they found some so no building.

The weather here has returned to its proper pattern, about 23- 25C with a brisk breeze and clear skies, we used to go holiday to Greece or Turkey at this time of year, this was the type of weather we expected.

I have scrubbed the kitchen. It needed it. Just got to put a few things back into place

Now need to scrub myself, off to my chum’s for supper, will stay over night

If Jonny doesn’t get to it, I definitely will get Brian back, I need someone to fit a new loo seat and new door knobs on the China cupboard. Both of which I could easily do except I doubt I can get the old ones off. At least without doing damage

Having a tough time at the moment. I've mentioned my oldest collie has dementia - she's 16, and it'll be any day now. Although I don't like the idea, I'm prepared for it. What has really knocked the stuffing out of me, is the middle one has just had to have surgery, to investigate an intestinal lump - he's not been able to eat for too long for it to be just something he's picked. up. The lump has been sent off for a biopsy - results in over a week's time. The word "worried" doesn't even come close.

Thanks for the comforting words everyone. Tranmere (my team) were promoted to Division One, today - I've got a pal staying over - he went to Wembley, so I've got a bit of company. Can we all keep our fingers crossed for Finn?

DD is coming over to spend a day helping me in the garden doing things that I’m not allowed to do onMy own (clamber up the Shady Bank to tie in Clematis etc) and stuff that my shoulder makes painful (pulling up chard, woman handling bags of compost and planting up big pots). She had planned to come earlier but a fool ran her off the road and she bent a rear wheel strut. Her lovely garage owner has repaired it for the cost of the part and the promise of one of her chocolate cakes.

“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” —Winnie-the-Pooh

Gruney some of these for you and your doggie pals. Had a scare last night, thought I'd killed Sally Anne. I went to get a sheet out of the drawer in the bed and she dashed under it, I tried to get her out and she got her head trapped, a lot of squealing and a very clawed hand and a very startled kitten who was watched very closely for the rest of the evening. She seems back to her normal self today but I had a few tears - in the words of Sting, how fragile we are....

Scrumptious looking pies Suff. I have some cooked sausages in the fridge, I put them in the George Foreman while the sun was out yesterday, I shall add some Turkish pepper sauce and some cooked chick peas to them for a supper tomorrow. Might even add 2 HB eggs as well.

I do miss the French markets Rats, the one at Saumur was a lovely experience and ambience.

2 loads of washing done and put away yesterday, Mr. Z. cut the grass, I cleared and cleaned my undersink cupboard and a late lunch on the patio of corn dogs, slaw and a nice merlot....Some spotify music to cover up the noise of the screaming army brats

We had Shakshuka last night, I have only been aware of it as a dish for about 10 years and was surprised to find a recipe for it in Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food, published 1992, he also gives some recipes using quinoa.

Good morning wild ones. Grundy It's so hard when pets are poorly, fingers crossed it will be ok in the end.We have drizzle at the moment the beasts are curled up on the sofa asleep and refusing to go out not a lot to do today, well it is the day of rest

Went to bed last night listening to Billy Ocean and pals rocking the park across the river ... brilliant!

They only have a few events there each year and they’re usually not very loud over here ... think they may have turned the sound up for the last ‘When the going gets tough’ ... it was great! ... it finished at 10:30 so I don’t think anyone will complain.